How hard it is to tell a real email from a fake email?  It is real hard, as the recent confusion at the popular site WOW Insider demonstrated. Over the last several days, Blizzard, the publisher of leading games such as World of Warcraft, Diablo and Starcraft, responded to a security problem by sending a password reset email to users.  On December 14, WOW Insider, a popular Warcraft blog and information site, warned the WOW community that the password reset email was a phishing attack.  On December 15, WOW Insider retracted the phishing story and advised the WOW community that [...]

  The Anti-Phishing Working Group (“APWG”) is worldwide watchdog organization composed of more than 1,800 companies, government agencies and solutions providers.  APWG is committed to wiping out internet scams and fraud. The APWG just released their First Half 2010 Report.  You can get the full report here: http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/APWG_GlobalPhishingSurvey_1H2010.pdf The report discusses the disturbing trend we reported in our October 22, 2010 IRS Warning posting.  This is the trend of using fraudulent emails to trick people into infecting their own machines with malware.  The APWG explains that unlike the bad old days, where the criminals took victims to fake websites to [...]

 You may have received an email claiming to be from the IRS warning you about a problem with a tax payment. It may say something like, “LAST NOTICE: We decline your Federal tax payment,” followed by an ID number. Or, “LAST NOTICE: The Identification Number used in the company identification field is not valid.” Jane Bryant Quinn has written an excellent posting about this scam. You can find it here: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/investing/blog/make-money/new-irs-phishing-scam-a-criminal-gang-is-in-your-mailbox/577/ Among the points she makes is that if the IRS is really after you, they will send you a written notice using the U.S. Postal Service – they [...]

Iconix commends the sponsors of the Annual UK National Identity Fraud Week, which commenced October 18, 2010, for their continuing efforts to extend awareness of the problem of identity theft. Now in its sixth year, the campaign seeks to help prevent identity fraud by providing practical help, tips and guidance to safeguard your identity. This awareness drive has been put in place by an expert group of public and private sector partners, including the CIFAS, The Association of Chief Police Officers, The City of London Police, The Metropolitan Police, National Fraud Authority, The Identity and Passport Service, The British Retail Consortium, [...]

The October 2010 edition of “The Costco Connection” references the article “Cyber security” on the cover. (http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201010#pg29)    When I turned to the article, I found it was all about phishing.  As you probably know if you follow Iconix, phishing is on-line fraud which is perpetrated by the impersonation of legitimate email senders.  Highlighted in the center of the article was this guidance from Peter Cassidy, secretary general of the Anti-Phishing Working Group:  This is not a technical issue; it all happens between your ears. The point he is making is that in phishing fraud, the criminal is not using [...]